Beware the Marketplace!

A free and open marketplace can be an engine for prosperity. People have the need and desire for goods and services, which in turn provides endless opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet the demand. The ingenuity and inventiveness generated to satisfy paying customers has produced a stream of ever-improving products and technology. And yet, unregulated commerce is fraught with unwanted risks and potential hazards.

The Latin phrase caveat emptor, meaning “let the buyer beware,” is an ancient principle that illustrates this reality. There are vivid examples of misrepresentation and blatant fraud in the marketplace. Sellers have a responsibility to deal with good faith, but buyers also have a duty to exercise due diligence in determining if the transaction is legitimate and something they need at a fair price.

The convenience of using credit cards has greatly facilitated buying and selling, often to the detriment of those who use them for consumables and daily expenses. However, using credit for long-term purchases can be useful if wisely done. For those who carry a balance on their credit cards, the interest rate charged is from 19–21%, which can be a difficult financial burden to overcome.

According to credit reporting agency TransUnion, “the average credit card debt per American in December 2025 was $6,715” (Forbes.com, July 10, 2026). Proverbs, the biblical book of wisdom, puts it this way: “The rich rules over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender” (Proverbs 22:7). It also has this to say about becoming a guarantor or co-signer on someone else’s debt: “A man devoid of understanding shakes hands in a pledge, and becomes surety for his friend” (Proverbs 17:18).

Governmental regulations do exist to protect consumers, but the advent of Internet commerce has removed many barriers for illicit products and services. Online platforms track user activity, which is analyzed by algorithms, resulting in users being bombarded with unwanted solicitations. For example, shoddy merchandise, sexually explicit products, pornography, and credit card fraud are rampant. The online “gaming” industry, which is a euphemism for gambling, is now pervasive in society. Sports betting and other forms of gambling can now be done on a smartphone. Those drawn into it are playing a fool’s game since the “House” always wins. Security services, anti-virus, and spam software programs are essential for those who use the Internet. The ubiquitous use of the smartphone has added another layer of cyber activity and potential problems.

While technology has heightened the potential for dangerous activity and scams in the marketplace, the underlying causes are not new. The Bible has much to say on the subject, giving guiding principles for honest dealings in business and personal transactions. The prophet Jeremiah focused on the basic cause of the problems of humanity when he was inspired to write, “The heart is deceitful above all things,

and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jeremiah 17:9). From this perspective it is plain to see why God gave detailed instructions to ensure fidelity in all marketplace transactions. For example, the Eighth Commandment states, “You shall not steal” (Exodus 20:15). From this broad instruction, the statutes and judgements provide more details; “You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another…. You shall not cheat your neighbor, nor rob him” (Leviticus 19:11, 13).

God gave this instruction through Moses: “You shall not have in your bag differing weights, a heavy and a light. You shall not have in your house differing measures, a large and a small. You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 25:13–16).

The Hebrew prophets often emphasized equitable business dealings and prohibited exploitation or abuse of the poor. In the last book of the Old Testament, Malachi wrote, “And I will come near you for judgment… against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans” (Malachi 3:5).

Parents should instruct their children from an early age to avoid impulse buying. If something offered for sale is a good idea today, it will still be later after reflecting on the actual need and affordability of the item. The habit of carefully considering all the ramifications of a purchase will serve a person well. If the seller uses pressure tactics, one should walk away from the transaction.

The Book of Hebrews in the New Testament has this gem of wisdom that harkens back to the Tenth Commandment: “Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have…” (Hebrews 13:5). Finally, the Apostle Paul also focused on this subject in Ephesians 5:15–16: “See that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.”

So, should you “beware the marketplace”? Or, for all these reasons and more, apply godly wisdom in its use?

The programs and literature produced by Tomorrow’s World, sponsored by the Living Church of God, teach a way of life that enables a person to function in these latter days while looking forward to the return of Christ and the establishment of His Millennial reign on Earth. All these materials are free of charge.

Perhaps consider reading the Tomorrow’s World magazine article “Seven Laws of Success.”